Family Leave Finding A Home

Family Leave Finding A Home In Workplace

A systems manager for Aetna Life & Casualty Co., Miller is taking seven weeks off to care for his newborn son and 22-month-old daughter.

His wife, Theresa, a computer programmer with Fleet Financial Services, is staying home for five months.

The concept of family leave isn't new to the Millers, who took shorter leaves after their daughter's birth in 1991. But advocates say its acceptance is growing as more employers see the business benefits that come with helping workers balance the demands of job and family.

Connecticut's pioneering family leave law, adopted in 1989, has proven a precursor to federal legislation that President Clinton signed in February. The federal law -- which applies to businesses with as few as 50 workers -- takes effect Aug. 5.

Monday, the Hartford Area Child Care Collaborative held a forum at the United Technologies Research Center in East Hartford to help employers sort out the differences between the two laws -- some highly technical -- so they can comply with both.

With cooperative employers, the Millers, who live in East Hartford, found it more important to work out the finances that would allow them to take time off without pay. They saved for months before the birth of 3-week-old Corwin, essentially to buy the ability to take more time.

"This is a rare opportunity," Michael Miller said, rubbing the baby's belly moments after a diaper change. "To be able to spend time with them is wonderful."

At the Miller household, child care is a shared responsibility. With Corwin's arrival so recent, Theresa spends most of her time attending to the infant. Michael makes sure toddler Tanzia gets her share of attention.

The key for this couple -- and for many other people contemplating family leaves -- is having the money in the bank to give up one or two paychecks for a limited time.

That task seems more difficult during these times of continuing recession and job uncertainty.

Under Connecticut's law, employers are supposed to file reports with the state Department of Labor on their experiences with family and medical leaves.

During 1991, the state recorded 10,406 leaves. That number dropped to 8,791 in 1992. The average leave, however, increased from 7.9 weeks in 1991 to 9.4 weeks in 1992.

The drop in the number of leaves surprised advocates, who hope the option will grow in popularity. They attribute the decline in 1992 to the continued stagnation in the state's economy and the continuing job cuts at state employers.

"A lot of people can't afford to take time off from work in this kind of economy," said Judith Goldfarb, director of the child care collaborative.

And she said many small employers -- the state law applies to firms with as few as 75 employees -- have not made it a priority to explain to workers that the unpaid leaves are available. With a smaller staff, juggling responsibilities can be more difficult, and one person's absence can have a greater impact.

Goldfarb said she hopes the attention given to the federal law as it takes effect next month will boost awareness about the option.

The federal law -- championed by U.S. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, D-Conn. -- allows workers to take as many as 12 weeks of unpaid leave a year to care for a newborn or newly adopted child, or an ailing spouse or parent. Employers must maintain health benefits.

The state law -- sponsored by state Sen. John B. Larson, D-East Hartford -- gives workers as many as 16 weeks of leave over two years. Employers are not obligated to continue paying for workers' health benefits.

Speaking at the forum, Judith Harper, an attorney for Aetna, suggested that employers draft leave policies that meet the requirements of both laws. But she warned of differences between the two that could prove troublesome.

For example, the state law includes leaves to care for in-laws. The federal statute applies only to a worker's parents. A worker could use all time available under the state statute to care for an in-law, and then request as many as 12 weeks in that same year to care for a newborn under the federal law.

After Aug. 5, employers with 50 to 75 workers will be subject to only the requirements of the federal law. Those with 75 or more will have to figure out which law properly applies to which situations.

In general, though, time will be counted toward the maximum under both laws for uses such as care of a newborn or sick child. People who take leaves can return to their former or comparable positions.

Several presenters at the forum spoke of the business benefits of work-family programs such as family leave. The programs, they said, help build loyalty and leave workers feeling better about their jobs and more able to concentrate on their work.

Despite precautions about possible abuses, family economics are likely to dictate how long workers stay out. Few can afford long stints without pay.

Sherie Zipadelli is an executive secretary at the United Technologies Research Center who took a leave after the birth of her daughter Alyssa in 1991. After the birth of her son Nicholas,

who is now 4, Zipadelli took just the six weeks of paid maternity leave given to new mothers.

The second time around she took an extra month of family leave, not a great amount of time, but enough to make her much more comfortable about returning to work, she said. She was going back on her timetable, not somebody else's.

"That extra bonding time for me was very important," said Zipadelli, who works in East Hartford and lives in Bristol.

The same is true for Michael and Theresa Miller. Both said they'd love to take more time. "But this is what we feel we can safely afford," Michael said